


this life won't stay the same

by endlesspossibilities



Category: Runaways (Comics), Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, Kinda, Slow Burn, Superpowers, Vigilante Nico, runaways as a family, slight AU, split between comic canon and show canon and au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-10-08 11:35:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17385740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/endlesspossibilities/pseuds/endlesspossibilities
Summary: You play dress up and make believe and wish on a star. Reality is never the same as you dreamed it to be. Karolina knows this better than most. An only child and essentially an orphan it seems odd to say her family has only grown this crazy year. Yet, despite the relationships that she holds so dearly, she is missing someone. They may not be as far away as she thinks though.Nico disappeared shortly after Amy died AU





	1. only a spark

Imagine you wake up one day with powers you never even imagined. You could fly. You could glow brilliant colors and shoot beams of lights. You are suddenly you, but “super”. These are the things every kid wishes for, even if they forget about the dream once they grow up. You play dress up and make believe and wish on a star. For Karolina, this story is familiar. She knows what it is like to fly, can do so easily, but her life is no dream. Instead, she is running for her life. It has been several months since her reality collapsed. Life goes on all over for people who do not know of the underside and who do not want to know. They live their normal, easy lives and pick up their children from school and buy groceries and go to their normal jobs. Karolina envies these people because she remembers when her life was so easy. She was applying to colleges before this all happened. You see, Karolina’s mother is very powerful. She has money, influence, and ambition, but Karolina always thought she was a source of good. This isn’t the case. Her mother was corrupt, using her wealth and status to buy off cops, hurt people, hurt children and cover it all up. If it hadn’t been for her friend, Chase Stein, and teenage rebellion, Karolina would still be a normal person, unaware of the misdeeds of the nation’s wealthiest and brightest minds. Whether she could forget the actions of her parents or if she even wanted to, she can’t go home now. They know too much and their parents are not as loving or understanding as they used to be. They are all doomed to be runaways, high profile runaways at that, and work to right the wrongs of Pride.

That is one thing she is thankful for, she is not alone. Affectionately referred to as the Runaways, Chase, Molly, Gert, and Alex are her best friends and family. Each of their parents is extremely wealthy, highly influential and deadly. Together they, along with the Minoru’s, are the founders of “charitable supergroup”, Pride. Too bad most charities aren’t kept afloat through ritual sacrifice. So here they are, five kids living in an abandoned underground mansion, diving into dumpsters to find food and trying to stop their evil parents. Oh, also Karolina is an alien with solar powers, Chase has his military grade “Fisticons”, Molly is insanely strong, Gert has a psychic link with a dinosaur (yeah, a real one) and Alex… well he’s just clever. There used to be two more in their group… before they even found out the truth, there was Amy and her younger sister, Nico. They’re both gone now. Amy died in a freak, Wiztech accident and Nico, disappeared shortly after. Supposedly, she couldn’t handle her sister’s death and waded into the ocean one night, never reappearing. She was ruled dead a few months later when no sign of her or her body appeared. It was rough, losing the Minoru sisters. Especially since Karrie had always loved Nico. She never told her, fearing rejection or disgust, and now it is too late. Karolina isn’t stupid, she knows that even if she had, Nico’s demons could have still caught up to her. Still, she regrets her decision and wishes she could have told her friend, at least once.

It is hard to get lost in these feelings of regret or heartbreak when you fear for your life most days. Dwelling in the possibilities or thinking in the abstract at all is just not a priority when there’s no promise you will live till tomorrow. Yet, when she does have a moment to herself, usually late at night, Karolina can’t help but think of Nico. What would she think of their parents and their life now? How would she react when it’s midnight and they’re outside of a Hollywood building and an armed cop just shows up? Karolina figures it would be better than this.

“Karrie! Run!” Chase yells, spotting one of the cops they know to be paid off by Pride. This was supposed to be a reconnaissance mission, using the cover of night to gain intel on the talent agency her parents are apart of. They believe the talent scouts might be hiding ulterior motives because apparently, no one is as innocent as they seem anymore.

“Shoot…” Karolina gasps and takes off in a sprint. The cop was big, but not particularly fast, as he pursued her. 

“Someone has been neglecting their cardio,” Chase pants, having caught up to her. They run together for another block before Chase ducks into a side alley and they slow. 

“I think we lost him,” he whispers, peeking around the cars parked there.

“Yeah, and the rest of the team,” Karo sighs. She hates getting separated even though she knows that between Molly and Old Lace the other group was well protected.

“We can meet them back at the hostel,” Chase shrugs, but can’t conceal the worry in his eyes. Chase is her best friend and Karolina knows that leaving his girlfriend, Gert, back there is harder than it looks.

Karolina reaches out to pat him on the shoulder when suddenly the alley they’re in lights up. The two teenagers squint and recoil from the brightness and when their eyes adjust they see three bulky dudes all pointing guns at them. 

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that, ya little shits,” one of them sneers. Karolina can feel the panic start to set in and instinctively raises her hands. She doesn’t know if she’s about to surrender or light up and chances a glance at Chase to see what he is planning. He doesn’t have his fisticons on which leaves him virtually defensive. 

“Okay. No one has to get hurt, we’ll come with you,” Karolina finds her voice, finally. They’re backed in here and she can’t take all three at once, maybe if they move them she can figure something out.

“Oh, you’re coming with us but that doesn’t mean no one will get hurt,” the middle one smiles, taking a step closer. They all three begin closing in and Karolina tenses. She feels Chase do the same and then before she can think he lunges, knocking into the man on the left. Everything gets crazy from there and she blasts out her light but has to be careful of the close quarters.

One of them gets behind her and grabs her around the neck and just as Karolina is getting lightheaded, she hears a voice. It’s quiet, yet strong and sure,

“Release her.”

Karolina wants to laugh as if the simple command will get this lump to let go, but just as suddenly as he grabbed her, the man lets go. He stumbles back several steps, hitting the wall.

Karolina whips around, sending a fantastic burst of light into his body. He grunts and doubles over knocked out for now. She sees Chase hit one of the other dirty cops with a solid punch, aided by his metal fists, but she’s more interested in the dark shadow that steps out. It’s a person, that much is clear, but she can’t make out their face. The only thing she can see clearly is a glowing staff.

“Leave them alone,” the person says and this time Karolina can tell the voice is that of a woman, although rough. The effect is immediate as the two remaining men turn and run away. As they run away she hears one of them say,

“Fuck that! They don’t pay enough to deal with Grimm!”

Karolina watches them until they are far enough away she can relax and then turns toward their dark hero, but the spot where they once stood is empty. 

“Woah, wait! Come back” she calls out, noticing a dark shape swoop around a lowered fire escape. The figure doesn’t stop, the glowing staff now strapped to their back as they expertly climb to the roof and over. Karrie can’t be sure, but it seems like they look back at her, hesitate as if they want to stay, before disappearing from view.

“Did we just make a friend?” Chase asks, his voice strained although he tries to hide it.

“I’m not sure what that was… But they did help us and the goon crew seemed terrified.”

“Yeah, but I don’t trust anyone outside of the family at this point. We’ll bring it up to the rest when we get back,” Chase readjusts his backpack and checks to make sure the dirty cops were truly gone. 

“Let’s go home,” Karrie nods and the two start their trek back to the car. Karolina knows that Chase is thinking about Gert and whether or not she and Molly made it back because that’s what she should be thinking about. Instead, her thoughts don’t stray far from the dark, hooded stranger who saved them then disappeared. She knows that it’s impossible, but they almost felt familiar. It was the voice, so quiet, yet self-assured. It reminds her of someone… She shakes her head and focuses again. Family is what matters most right now and hers is waiting for them back at the Hostel.

“I don’t care what they did back there. We have no clue who they were and if they’re safe. I say we leave it alone for now,” Alex crosses his arms. Ever the suspicious one, he was adamantly against learning more about the shadowy person. Karolina had begun to call them Grimm in her head since that’s what she heard one of the cops say as he ran away. 

“Why would they help us escape if they were against us? Not everyone is as scary as our parents, Alex,” Karolina argued, “You weren’t there. I got a good feeling about them and she got that guy to let go of me with barely a few words! It was like magic!” 

“She?” Gert speaks up. She heard Karrie’s slip up immediately. She’s observant when she’s lucky enough to be on a round of her medication. They all agreed it was a priority to keep her on them once they saw how debilitating her anxiety was and how it affected Old Lace. No one wants a dinosaur flipping out around LA.

“I meant they. I don’t know. I heard them speak and it sounded feminine but I couldn’t be sure. You can’t really gender someone with no clue about them,” Karrie shrugs. She doesn’t know why she’s convinced it’s a woman, just that she isn’t ready to share with the whole group.

“Wow! Thank you, Karolina, for not defaulting to the male savior!” Gert praises, clapping her hands a few times. Alex looks ready to roll his eyes, but Chase just smiles fondly at his social justice warrior girlfriend.

“Uh, no problem, Gert. My point is I know it’s risky, but I think we should try and find this person!” Karrie states her opinion. She doesn’t know why she’s locked on to this, but it’s linked to the same reason she thinks Grimm is a woman and a friend, instead of an enemy.

“No way. Look, whether or not they are a friend or a threat, it isn’t a good idea to go poking around on this apparently powerful, secretive person,” Alex reasons. 

“Yeah, I’m with Alex on that point. If they show up again, we can look into it,” Chase agrees. Karrie sighs, knowing she’s lost this one. She won’t betray her friends trust on this.

“Sorry, Karrie… They sound super cool though! Maybe if they do show back up they can join the team,” Molly suggests, excitedly. Molly is always looking to recruit more young heroes to their group. She has visions of being a superhero team who fight crime together, but so far the only fighting they’ve done has been with their parents.

“Thanks, Molly. Well if we’re done here, I’m gonna try and get a few hours of sleep,” Karolina takes her leave and each of the runaways follows. It’s late and they need to get as much energy as they can before tomorrow starts and new issues arise. Tonight was supposed to be about getting information, but Karolina has more questions than before. As she burrows under the warm but old blankets they managed to wash, her mind wanders again back to the mysterious stranger and then further back to Nico, once again.


	2. a warm feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karolina has another chance encounter with the mysterious Grimm. But is it really chance that brings these two together?

California will be destroyed in ten days. That’s what they find out in the days after Karrie and Chase’s run-in. They’re the only ones who can stop it from happening and that’s if they can manage to defeat their super villain parents. Which is a pretty big if at this point. Stopping their parents from raising the Gibborims was not exactly a task with a manual. Not to mention everyone has been so on edge lately. They’re fighting each other more than normal and Karolina thinks Molly is the only one she can stand now. Which is why Karrie decided it was a good idea to go for a run in the middle of the night. She has to let off some steam and she’s too noticeable during the day to just run around by herself and yes, it is not smart for a teenage girl to run alone at night. Karrie gets that, but most teenage girls can’t fly away if trouble starts. Which in retrospect, not the best reasoning, seeing as her flying so far is more of a floating and she can only do it while lighting up in rainbow colors… Not very subtle. 

“Uh oh! Look who we have. Aren’t you a snack, baby?” the man calls out from his spot in front of the 24-hour corner store. Karolina doesn’t stop, she’s used to this from long before she became a runaway. She makes it down half a block when suddenly a figure steps in front of her and yanks her wrist, sending her tumbling down behind a line of trash bins. She yells in pain as she catches herself, her weight all landing on her other hand. The sharp pain tells her there’s something wrong with her wrist immediately, but she ignores it and spins over to see the catcaller and another greasy man, looming over her. 

“Told you she was a hot one,” the catcaller elbows his buddy, starting to lean down. 

“Get away from me. You don’t want to mess with me, I promise,” Karrie threatens. She glares and raises her one good arm up, fingers flexing. 

“Honey, it’s me and him against one little lady with a bad arm,” the greasy man smiles, but before he can make a move another voice speaks up. Karrie almost cries in relief at the rough, 

“Let’s make this a fair fight, huh?” The dark figure lands beside Karolina, having jumped from the roof of the store in front. 

“What the fuck? Where’d you come from?” Catcaller steps back in surprise, allowing Karolina to scramble to her feet. Grimm is better lit this time, but their face is securely covered except for a strip around their eyes. Standing next to them Karrie can tell she’s several inches taller than the intimidating stranger. Their staff is glowing, hanging from their hand by their side. 

“One for each now then,” greasy man shrugs and with a short glance at his buddy lunges forward toward Karrie. She lets her powers come up and braces her arms out in front of her, sending a quick pulse that hits the scumbag as he’s about to grab her. 

The other assailant had followed his friend and went for Grimm but was quickly sent sprawling as they sidestep him and sweep their staff under his legs forcefully. Then Grimm twirls it around and smacks the guy in the side with enough power to knock the air out of him and probably crack a rib. Karrie is in awe as this mysterious stranger obviously has more fighting experience and skill than her or her friends. Most of them rely heavily on their hero powers, although Chase does know how to keep up in a physical brawl from his lacrosse years. Karolina thinks she can hold her own fairly well against a couple of low life guys like these, though, so she jumps back in to help with the grease ball who lunged first.

He’s regained his footing and looks confused, but mostly angry. The worst type of male anger where they feel as though a woman might be embarrassing them or taking control of a situation. She’s seen this look in the face of many men, from professional business CEOs to catcallers. She hates it. Karolina sets her jaw and ignores the searing pain in her wrist in order to lash out another burst of solar energy at the pair. They both groan and stay down and Karrie grins before grimacing and clutching her wrist to her chest. She wallows in her pain, knowing she can’t exactly go to the ER before remembering Grimm and turning back. Karolina is sure they have run off but to her surprise they’re hanging back, standing in the shadows. 

“Uh. I can…” they trail off and point at the hurt wrist. They clear their throat and then look down, 

“Fix it.” 

Karrie stares for a second before it clicks that the figure wants to fix her wrist.

“Uh.. you sure? I’ve seen Harry Potter and I really like having bones,” She asks, but she already takes a step forward. She trusts this stranger which doesn’t make sense. She doesn’t know them! They’re dressed in black and carry a big glowing magic staff! This is insane, yet she already feels her arm lifting towards Grimm. She stifles a smile when she sees the dark eyes roll like they can’t believe she’d mention Harry Potter to them.

“Not a wizard…” they mumble and then lift the Staff, “Heal her.” 

Instantly her arm felt warm then the pain was simply gone. Her mouth opens and her eyes open wide looking her arm over. Not only is the pain in Karolina’s arm gone but there’s no sign of injury on her at all. The scratches on her palms from the fall, the twinge in her knee from last week, even the headache that has been forming are all gone.

“If you’re not a wizard how the hell did you do that?” Karrie asks, searching the eyes of the familiar stranger. Every second she spends with this person the more she wants to know about them. She feels comfortable here and it scares her. Karrie used to be very trusting. She liked people! Sure there were bad decisions and a few evil people but Karolina always thought that most of humanity was good. Maybe that was naive of her, but until a few months ago she never had a reason not to believe that. That wasn’t the case now. They have been lied to, deceived, stolen from and hurt by people they cared about. People they thought they could trust. So Karrie stays cautious around new people now. At least, she usually does. This ease she feels with this stranger is strange and to some extent, worrisome. 

“Sorry,” Grimm says, quietly. Karolina squints and her eyebrows furrowed together as she tries to comprehend what they could be sorry for. Then the stranger spins around and runs toward the nearest side wall and expertly scales it with the help of a dumpster and some window panes. 

“No, wait! Ugh,” Karrie groans and shakes her head before letting her light extend over her body and lifting off the ground. She flies up to the roof and lands, looking around. Somehow once again, Grimm has disappeared.

“That is… impressive,” Karolina shakes her head and sighs, floating herself back down. She quickly runs home after that, not eager for another confrontation. She berates herself in her head for being dumb enough to get into that situation, but by the time she gets into bed, she has forgiven herself. She could have handled the two men if Grimm hadn’t have shown up, but she’s glad they did. 

After their second run in, she is confident that her friends will have to listen to her and help find Grimm. It’s obvious this person is very powerful with how easily they healed Karolina. They also seemed to have actual combat skills and an uncanny ability to get away quickly. If she can convince her friends, Karrie thinks Grimm could be a useful addition to the team. 

Of course, that would mean spending more than a few minutes with the stranger and Karrie wasn’t upset about that idea either. She hasn’t felt this intrigued with someone since… well, Nico. With this thought, her heart clenches. It’s not the same. Nico was her first love and this thing with Grimm is just an infatuation. They were dark and mysterious and powerful so obviously, Karrie was gonna think about them. With the last few months being as crazy as they were, Karolina hasn’t had to worry about crushes or what moving on would mean. She knows she has to. Nico is gone and she’s accepted this. Kinda. It’s just that no one ever found a body. 

* * *

It was late when Karolina got home last night so she waited to share her most recent encounter with Grimm until everyone woke up the next day. She calls a family meeting in their makeshift dining room, everyone collecting around stale donuts and cold coffee. 

“So, obviously we have a lot on our plate right now with our parents and the Gibborim. To be honest, I’m not sure we can do this alone. Last night, I had a run in with the person who helped Chase and I. They helped me beat up a couple of creepy would-be assaulters who tried to attack me on a run,” Karrie explains what happened in detail as the team listens intently.

“Geez, K. That sounds like it could have been bad!” Chase breaks the silence after a beat. Molly and Gert both nod and reach out to comfort Karrie. 

“Could have. If Grimm hadn’t shown up. This is the second time now and this time she showed a range of skills that could be great for helping us! We need to try and find them.” Karolina pitches the idea with enthusiasm. She knows that involving Grimm would be good. She can feel it in her gut, but she has to convince the others. 

“I still don’t like it. Now more than ever we should be focusing on the task at hand and not on silly distractions,” Alex speaks up first. Karolina knew he’d be the hardest to convince. Lately, Alex has gotten more secretive than normal and sometimes Karrie thinks he isn’t even sharing his whole plan with the team. 

“I’m focused, but come on, Alex. We are five teenagers up against our supervillain parents! We need to take all the help we can get here,” Karrie reasons with him, knowing that he will only be persuaded with logic, not emotion or instinct. 

“I kinda agree with Karolina here… Although, you did forget Old Lace which is not cool,” Gert says, pointing over at the lounging dinosaur. Old Lace lifts her head and snorts in their direction and Karrie smiles, sending an apology to her. 

“I’m with Karrie and Gert! This person sounds super cool and Karolina said they were small! What if they’re my age?” Molly bounces in her seat. Karolina is thankful for her sisterhood with the two girls and wraps an arm around Molly to show some of this gratitude. Molly is everyone’s little sister at this point and while the blonde hates that she won’t get a normal high school experience ever, she knows they all try their best for Molly. The Quinceañera they threw for her a couple months ago was the happiest she has seen her family in ages. 

“I don’t know how old they are, Molly, but they are definitely cool. And powerful. They’re obviously a good guy too since they’ve helped beat up scumbags twice now,” Karrie says, her eyes lingering on Chase. He’s the last vote and the only other person who has seen Grimm in person. 

“Okay. I’m in. How do we find them?” Chase finally agrees, uncrossing his arms and looking at Karolina expectantly. 

“Right. I don’t really know… from what I can tell they only show up after dark, probably to help keep their identity secret.” 

“Like Batman!” Molly points out. 

“Exactly. My best idea so far is to just hit the streets tonight. Ask around the homeless population, they’re the ones out after dark the most,” Karrie explains her plan. She has a hunch that they won’t find Grimm, but that Grimm will find her. She doesn’t voice this thought out loud, afraid of sounding weird or too attached. It’s just strange that when Karrie needs help Grimm is there. But how could they have known Karolina was out for a run last night? The only explanations don’t sit right with her, so she ignores the feeling in order to focus on her friends. They’re all dividing up areas while Alex sits back and sulks. 

“I’m gonna stay here. Y’all can go out and waste time looking for someone who may or may not help us. I’ve got to keep working on the actual plan,” Alex stands up and walks off to his room. 

“Is anyone else really unsure of what _plan_ he’s talking about?” Gert asks with a slight chuckle and they each nod. 

“We’re all pretty freaked out about the whole California destroyed in nine days thing. Alex will pout for a while, but he can come around,” Chase defends his friend, even though he, like the rest, has had suspicions about Alex lately. They all accept this and get back to working on the plan for tonight. This lasts another thirty minutes before they split up to their rooms. Chase stops Karolina as she’s about to go into her room, 

“Hey, Karrie. I just wanted to ask how you’re doing. Last night sounds like it could have been pretty scary,” he says with genuine concern in his voice. Karolina smiles at her sweet friend, not immune to his caring eyes. 

“I’m okay, actually. I was afraid for a moment, but then I felt Grimm land beside me and it was like all the fear turned into strength,” Karolina explains, unaware of how in awe she sounds. 

“I’m really glad they were there for you. By the way, do you think it’s possible that you might have a bit of a crush on our dark hero?” Chase asks teasingly. Karrie blushes immediately and shakes her head. 

“No! I don’t know. I don’t think so? I barely even know them, Chase.” 

“Mmhm. I’m not gonna push it. Just know that I think it’s kinda cool and I’m here for you. We all are,” Chase pats her shoulder and backs up, headed toward Gert and his room. 

“Whatever, Stein. Go make out with your girlfriend,” Karrie rolls her eyes and shuts the door as she hears him laugh. Despite what Chase might think, Karrie is not convinced this is a crush. How could it be? Then again, how could it be that she trusts this stranger with her health and her safety? How could it be that she feels strength and respite in those dark eyes? Karolina sighs and presses her forehead against the wooden surface of her door. She can’t explain it yet, but tonight she will get all the answers she is searching for and many she did not know that she needed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point Karolina is fairly certain that Grimm is a woman, but I'm keeping with they/them pronouns until she can confirm.


	3. see the light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment we've all been waiting for is here. Karolina will finally figure out who Grimm is.

Los Angeles at night is a strange world. There are young people getting drunk and stumbling home, old people getting high and reliving their glory days, criminals hoping to prey upon these people and there’s the large population of homeless individuals just trying to make it through the night. Karolina isn’t sure where she falls in all this. She and Molly have been walking around the bank of the Los Angeles River for almost two hours stopping occasionally to ask the residents there if they’ve ever heard of someone known as Grimm or of a vigilante who carries a glowing staff. There hasn’t been much luck. Karrie is starting to get discouraged and she can tell Molly is getting tired. It’s almost one now and they’re all supposed to meet back at the hostel in an hour. 

“Grimm? I don’t know. I’m not very good with names…” the middle-aged lady responds. She seems genuine in her interest though so Karrie presses further, 

“What about a person who carries a staff with a glowing circle on top? Might be helping people in trouble? Seems like magic?” Karolina tries, her words quick with desperation. At the word magic, the woman’s eyes light up.

“That sounds like the lady who helped Old Todd! Yeah a couple of young men, new to the area, were trying to rough up Old Todd for his spot in the community. He’s got a nice corner and he’s been there for ages,” the woman remembers.

“Do you know anything else about the woman?” Karrie asks, her hope returning. Helping an old man sounds like the type of thing her Grimm would do.

“I don’t know, sweetie… Old Todd isn’t always the brightest so most of us chalked it up to delusion. He swears she used some sort of spell to get the men to leave him alone. Said she was real nice but quiet. He could never describe her though so we moved on.”

“Thank you so much. I wish I could offer you something, but we don’t really have anything…” Karolina thanks the woman and turns back toward Molly. 

“Don’t mention it. The two of you girls should be heading home now, especially that little one,” the woman gestures toward Molly who is covering mouth as she yawns.

“Yes, ma’am.”

The two girls walk away at that as Karolina processes the new information. 

“That’s the most we’ve gotten all night,” she whispers to Molly who shrugs.

“Still not very much. No name, no description…” Molly admits, even her enthusiasm is running low. Karolina sighs and nods back. This might be harder than she anticipated and they’re running out of time. If they don’t find out more soon, her friends will move on. Which she understands. She and Molly start the trek back to the hostel, disappointed and tired. Just as they’re about to enter back into the park she hears a shout and turns to see bad news. It’s Carter, a cop who is part of the crew paid off by their parents. 

“Shit! We’ve gotta run, Molly!” Karrie yells and breaks into a sprint. They can’t risk heading back to the hostel with Carter on their tail so they head back into town. 

“We have to lose him,” Karolina pants.

“Or we could fight him!” Molly responds. Her eyes start to glow as her powers kick in.

“I’m strong. I can handle this guy!” She stops running at that and Karolina stops, tugging on her arm.

“Molly, no. It’s not worth it,” she pleads, watching as Carter catches up to them. He stops ten feet away and stares them down.

“I’m tired of always running. It’s just one stupid dude,” Molly stands her ground. 

“Now that’s where you’re wrong, princess. You really think I came out here alone? When we got the tip about a pretty young blonde and a little brown girl asking a lot of questions, we thought it was time to call up the bosses,” Carter explains and suddenly a new Mercedes pulls up, blocking the way. Tina and Leslie step out on either side.

“Hello, girls. We’re so glad we found you,” Tina spreads her hands in front of her, but her smile is wicked.

“Mom… don’t do this,” Karolina begs, as the woman who raised her raises her eyebrow at the pair.

“Karolina, you leave us no choice. Now either come with us or we will be forced to fight you. I know you don’t want to fight your mother,” Leslie spins her story once again. This isn’t their first time seeing the parents since they ran away and Karolina knows her mother isn’t bluffing.

“Sorry, Mom. We’re not going with you,” Karolina shakes her head and quickly raises her hand to shoot a solar blast at the two women. They dodge it and then Leslie is in full alien glow. Molly grabs a newspaper box and rips it from the ground sending it towards the two villains. Karolina sees Carter running away, obviously not ready to partake in a super powered battle. She lets her own light rush through her and feels the power that accompanies it. She lets Molly face off against Tina and her martial arts and focuses on her mother. They trade blasts back and forth, dodging and hitting each other occasionally. One thing Karolina can say about the few months of fighting and surviving is that she knows how to take a hit now and get back up. And so she does, over and over. 

Between hits, she sees Molly holding her own fairly well, but neither side is giving up easily. They need help if they want to get away from here in one piece. Karolina focuses her energy and sends up a flare, hoping that someone in the team is close enough to notice. Leslie seems to understand what she was doing and doubles down on her blasts, sending everything she has at her daughter who uses a shield to block most of it. Her focus falters at the end when she hears Molly cry out in pain and she gets hit. She falls to the ground with a groan and is pushing herself back up slowly when she sees them. Karrie smiles, thanking whatever forces there may be.

“Why are you smiling? I’m gonna win, dear,” Leslie laughs, walking up to Karrie with glowing hands.

“I’m not smiling at you, Leslie,” Karolina retorts, pushing herself to her feet. 

“I think that smile is for me, actually,” Grimm says, appearing from behind the Mercedes and rushing forward. She spins around and hits Leslie with the side of her foot, surprising the older woman.

Now three against two, the young heroes gain momentum. Molly manages to subdue Tina in a chokehold and Karrie and Grimm double up against Leslie. Grimm sticks close, punching, jabbing and kicking the alien while Karrie floats up to assault from the sky. Karolina notices that Grimm doesn’t pull out her staff, sticking to hand to hand combat. It works well anyway, so she doesn’t comment. 

“Molly! Get out of here and find the others! We’ve got this,” Karolina calls over to where Molly has slumped Tina against the car door. After all that effort she knows the young girl must be exhausted, but she manages to jog off quickly. This lapse in concentration is noticed by Leslie who uses the last of her energy to send out a wave of light. It knocks Karrie out of the sky and she hits the ground hard.

“Karolina!” Grimm yells and then turns back to Leslie. Her eyes change, darkness spreading from them and she screams, finally pulling out the Staff. There’s a split second where Karolina swears her mother looks afraid. It’s muddled with something else, something that looks like recognition, but then she’s hit with an invisible force that sends her flying back through the air and hitting the car, shattering the windshield.

Karolina stands back up, sore, but okay. She looks at Grimm and stares, eyes wide. 

“How do you know my name?”

“Fuck.”

Grimm looks around and then runs. Karolina isn’t going to let her disappear so easily this time though, so she takes off after them.

“Wait! Please, I just want to talk,” Karrie calls after them as Grimm scales a fence and keeps going. Karrie sighs and flies herself over it and keeps running. It’s a game of chase for a while until they run under an overpass that goes over the river and finally the dark figure stops.

“Please, just listen for a second. I-- We- We’re gonna lose. The people my friends and 

I have been fighting? They’re really evil. They’re also out parents and they’re gonna win. California will be destroyed and a lot of people will die!” Karolina explains to the back of the stranger. 

“I think you could help us win, though,” Karrie begs, taking a couple steps closer.

The woman scoffs and shakes her head,

“I wouldn’t be so sure.”

“Please, just come back with me. We have a safe space,” Karolina offers, her voice pleading. She can’t fail. They have eight days now and while the thought scares her, she knows that it’s not just destruction that motivates her now. When Grimm doesn’t respond, she sighs and changes her tactic.

“If you won’t come with me, at least turnaround? I don’t know how you always seem to be here when I’m in trouble… You’re either my guardian angel? Or a stalker. Either way, I just want to say thank you. Preferably to your face,” Karrie explains. She’s being honest, she does want to say thank you. It’s more than that though. She needs to see the woman who has helped save her life three times now. She wants to tell her that she can’t stop thinking about her and her scratchy voice and the dark glint in her eyes. How she feels connected to her, even though they’ve barely spoken. How do you say that though? Instead, Karolina reaches out her fingertips to touch her shoulder, barely grazing the fabric there. The dark figures breath shudders at the contact and they lift their head slowly. This plea is working.

There’s a sigh before the woman reaches up to the fabric covering half her face,

“Just don’t freak out, okay?” 

She turns around slowly and for the first time, Karrie can see her face.

“N-Nico?” Karolina gasps, her eyes widen and she shakes her head slightly like it must be a trick of the light.

“Karrie. I’m so sorry I never told you the truth. You probably hate me now for disappearing,” Nico pleads, her fears rushing forward. 

“You’re alive! Oh my gosh, Nico. You’re here.” Karrie rushes forward and clutches the small woman to her.

“I thought you were dead.”

“Me too. At least it felt like I should be for a while. I’m sorry I ran away,” Nico apologizes again. They pull apart and Nico steps back. She isn’t used to being this close to someone anymore. 

“Nico, what are you talking about? I’m just glad to see you’re okay! I mean yeah, it is kinda shitty that I’ve spent two years believing you were dead. Mostly, I’m just happy!” Karrie laughs, tears starting to form in her eyes. Her biggest regret was never telling Nico how she felt and now she has a chance to. Not now. This is already a huge shock and she needs time to process what is happening. First, she takes in everything about the woman in front of her. Nico looks mostly the same, but a little older around the face and completely dressed in black with dark makeup and hair cut short around her shoulder. It’s tied back in a bun, but a few strands have come loose, probably during their battle with the parents. She’s beautiful. 

“You look good,” Karolina smiles, her eyes wandering over Nico’s face. She notices a slight blush there, but that could be leftover from the adrenaline.

“You look amazing, Karrie. I have a few questions though… Like the glowing?” Nico tilts her head, remembering the brilliant rainbow of colors she saw emanating from Karolina’s form. She looks normal right now. If you could ever classify Karolina, the most beautiful woman Nico’s ever known, as normal.

“Oh, don’t worry. I have plenty of questions, too. I’m just not sure if this is the place to get into it?” 

“You’re right, I shouldn’t even be showing my face around here,” Nico nods and starts to reach for her fitted scarves again. 

“Wait… Sorry, I just. I haven’t seen you in so long,” Karrie lets her eyes linger on Nico’s face, taking in every detail again, “Sorry, here.”

She reaches forward and tugs the material back up over Nico’s nose. Nico’s breath falters, it’s been a while since she has been this close to the blonde. She’s gotten prettier and it is hard to comprehend. This was one of Nico’s best friends for years and yes, she was always beautiful, but seeing her now… It’s like the first light of day. The dawn of a new morning after a cold night where everything is crisp and pure and nothing has gone wrong yet. Nico wants to stare at Karolina for hours and try to understand how she spent two years without this young woman and how things are so different now. 

“Oh my god, that was your mom! Are you okay?” Karrie realizes that like her, Nico just had to face her evil mother.

“Ha! Yeah, I don’t really consider Tina my mom anymore. Not for a while,” Nico shakes her head.

“That’s not the first time we’ve faced off, although it was the first time I’ve seen your mom in a while,” Nico explains, searching Karrie’s face to see how she handled the encounter. 

“Leslie… I think she recognized you? I don’t know how, but right before you beat her, I saw it.”

“Probably because of the Staff of One. It was Tina’s before I took it over…” Nico explains, pulling the staff out from its spot strapped to her back.

The two girls start to make their way out from under the overpass, walking side by side. Karolina assumes they will head back to the hostel from here, but they don’t make it very far when Nico stops.

“I know you probably want to get back to the group, but… I need to talk to you and I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to see them, yet,” Nico says, hoping that Karolina will be willing to leave her friends waiting for a little while longer.

“What do you mean? They’re going to be so excited to see you, Nico! I mean, yeah, they might be a little upset that you let us all believe you were dead for two years. And I know things were pretty rough between you and Alex before everything,” Karolina starts to ramble, already caught up in the excitement of showing her friends that Nico was actually alive. Nico cuts her off quickly,

“Alex is the reason I can’t go back with you,” Nico confirms, making Karolina shut up and furrow her eyebrows together,

“Oh… Do you still like him?” She asks, remembering the duos brief romance before Amy died. She hopes the disappointment doesn’t come through in her voice as much as she truly feels it. Of course, Nico would want to get back together with Alex now that she’s back. It was stupid of her to think that just because Nico is alive that means that she has a chance with her. Nico never showed interest in her or girls at all.

“God, no. No, I might have liked him a little back then, but I think it was more to do with Amy and how distant she had gotten. This is beside the point. Karrie, come with me and I will explain everything,” Nico waves her hand at the sidetrack, before locking eyes with the taller woman.

“I want to, but everyone is probably worried. I was supposed to be back at the hostel like thirty minutes ago…” Karrie weighs the options. Part of her wants to run away with Nico and never look back, but she knows that isn’t a choice anymore.

“Please, Karrie… Do you trust me?” Nico asks, reaching out and grabbing one of Karolina’s hands. They stand there, staring at each other, breathing in the same air. After all this time, Nico is alive. Karolina laughs to herself. Did she even think there was a choice? This was Nico after all.

“Lead the way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've changed the rating to mature cause there is probably gonna be some sex scenes in a couple chapters


	4. burning

Karolina isn’t sure where they are anymore. She’s been content to follow Nico through dark side streets and up fire escapes until they ducked through an open window and into a small open room. It’s dark, darker even when Nico closes the window and pulls the curtains shut. Karolina’s never loved the dark and even now her breath hitches when she sees blackness everywhere, but it only lasts a second before a small uncovered light bulb flicks on in the corner of the room. It’s dim, but enough to light up the small space.

She looks around taking in the sparse room with only a twin mattress on the ground, metal clothes rack and two skinny doors on the far wall. Nico is standing awkwardly by the bed, her hands coming together. Karrie can’t help the small smile that sneaks onto her face at the sight of the small woman. She watches quietly as Nico unwraps the fabric that covers the lower half of her face and drops it onto the bed. She doesn’t think she will ever get tired of seeing Nico’s face again. Next, she undoes the harness holding the Staff of One onto her and hangs up the straps and Staff altogether.

“It sucks. I know, but there’s a roof and a bathroom and I managed to rig power to this outlet and you know LA doesn’t get too bad of weather so no heat isn’t too bad,” Nico trails off with a sigh.

“Nico, I’ve been living on the streets for all of four months now. I’m definitely not going to judge your home,” Karolina offers a shy smile, catching Nico’s eyes to reassure her. They stare for a second too long before Nico looks away and gestures toward the unmade bed.

“We can sit? I have a lot of explaining to do and this is pretty much the only place I feel comfortable enough to do it,” Nico says, lowering herself to the bed and pushing her back against the wall. Even with her small legs, her feet hang off the side until she pulls them up to her chest. Karolina can see so much of her old Nico here, despite all the many differences. She seems unsure, which makes sense. Before an hour ago, no one knew Nico was even alive and now Karrie is here in her tiny home waiting for answers when Nico isn’t even sure she has all of them. Even still, Karrie sits beside her with space between them and wishes she could be closer. Not yet, maybe not ever. Maybe though. For two years there has been no maybe.

“I should start at the beginning, right?” Nico asks with an almost chuckle. Karolina nods, quiet but attentive.

“Amy was murdered. It was made to look like an accident, but it wasn’t. And it was our parents who did it,” Nico says, her voice hard, angry even.

“Oh god… Nico. I didn’t know. I mean, I know our parents are evil but Amy?” Karolina sputters, trying to wrap her brain around this new information.

“Yeah. She found out about Pride and she was going to go to the police, except you know how that goes,” Nico references the many cops that Karolina and her friends have had to deal with since running away.

“They’re all corrupt pieces of shit on a power high?” 

“Exactly. Anyway, I found a burner cell phone of Amy’s and a notebook that pretty much spelled it all out for me. I think she wanted me to find them, actually. Once I realized that she had been spying and collecting evidence against our parents for months, it all clicked. That it wasn’t an accident and that I couldn’t stay there so I ran away. I was going to tell you guys, but it was dangerous and after a run-in with my mother, she made it very clear that if I tried to contact you someone would get hurt. I couldn’t risk that…” Nico explains everything while she keeps eye contact with Karolina until she trails off at the end, glancing down to her lap.

“Wow. I’m so sorry you had to do that alone… I mean finding out our parents were murderous supervillains was pretty bad, but at least I had the others,” Karolina shakes her head. She can’t imagine how scared Nico must have been, only 16 at the time of her sister’s death and then this? Looking at her friend now, Karolina is amazed at her strength. She doubts she could have handled all that without going crazy.

“It definitely wasn’t easy. Genuinely thought I was going to die one or two times, but things got easier after I stole the Staff of One from Tina. There was a steep learning curve with it, but I get it now,” Nico stares at the Staff as she talks about it. She sounds confident in this statement, but Karrie can see some hesitation in her eyes and tension in her shoulders.

“Speaking of, what exactly is the Staff of One?” Karolina asks eyeing the weapon cautiously. She has seen the power Nico emits whenever she wields it. The quiet confidence and subtle strength that follows Nico as she navigates the night. Karrie won’t admit it, but it’s hot. Thinking back at each interaction with Grimm and placing Nico there, Karolina finally begins to understand the attraction and familiarity that she felt in Grimm’s presence.

“I don’t know where it came from or how it came to be our family’s, but the Staff is crafted from dark magic. It has to be activated by my blood and then I can basically cast any spell I can think of. Except I can only use a spell once and after that it has pretty unexpected results,” Nico tries to explain as best she can. It’s harder than it should be since Nico never got to learn from Tina. She imagines one day she’d have been trained, but instead, she figures everything out on her own which has led to many failures and an incomplete understanding of how the Staff works. 

“Dang, that’s pretty intense. And completely amazing,” Karolina admits with raised eyebrows. Her friend is a witch? 

“Wait, you said you weren’t a wizard!” Karolina remembers the goth girls own words from two nights ago.

“I’m not! Wizards don’t exist. No potions or wands here. Plus I don’t like being associated with anything Wiz-y” Nico rolls her eyes and shudders at the thought of her parents' huge tech company, built off the backs of dead children.

“Hm, that’s a good point… what would you call yourself then?” Karolina asks genuine interest and a tinge of excitement in her voice.

“I don’t know. A witch seems like the easiest choice. Cursed seems like a good option too,” Nico mumbles, quick to remember the price at which her power comes. She hates being associated with the Staff, but there doesn’t seem to be any way around it. Either she controls it for good or her mother will continue with her evil agenda.

“Your turn. You and Leslie glow. What’s up with that?” Nico turns the attention back to Karolina. They’re still sitting parallel on the mattress, although the space between them has shrunk. Karolina knew this question would have to be answered, but she’s hesitant with the truth. What would Nico think about sharing space with an alien? Would she be grossed out or afraid? Karrie always thought coming out as a lesbian would be the hardest part of her identity crisis but coming out as an alien made it all worse. She’s a freak and she knows it.

“I-I guess. Well, I’m an alien?” Karrie finally gets out, avoiding any eye contact with Nico. She doesn’t want to see the look of disgust she’s sure must grace the shorter woman’s face. She couldn’t handle it. It’s what she always feared, what kept her quiet for years before her friend disappeared. Even if it isn’t the same admission it’ll hurt just the same. She stares at her hands waiting for a response when she hears a chuckle.

“Well, that’s a relief. You were always too beautiful for this world anyway,” Nico smiles softly at Karolina when she finally looks up. 

“Come on, Karrie. I just told you my family was made up of dark witches, so I’m not in any place to judge you,” Nico reassures her, sensing Karolina’s embarrassment. Karolina was an actual embodiment of light and rainbows whereas Nico was nothing but darkness. If anyone should be disgusted right now, shouldn’t it be Karolina? Nico can’t help the thoughts that pop up. She should have never intervened or tried to help Karolina. The tall blonde was so good and pure, nothing like Nico. By revealing herself to her old friend, Nico has put her in even more danger. Suddenly, there’s a hand in her own and Nico is pulled out of her own mind by Karrie’s soft touch.

“What just happened?” Karolina asks, she could see the turmoil that fills Nico. The shorter girl shakes her head and puts on a fake face,

“Nothing, sorry, just got caught up in my head. I have more to tell you and it’s pretty important,” Nico dismisses Karrie’s concern and forges forward, aware that time is passing quickly and there’s still much to talk about.

“Okay… Is this about Alex and why you couldn’t come home with me?” Karolina asks. Nico nods solemnly and clears her throat,

“So, I know it may seem like I have been following you these last couple weeks and I have, sorta. I’ve been tracking all of you guys, actually. I never intended to jump in, but I guess I couldn’t stay back and watch you get hurt,” Nico explains, her voice softening as she looks at her beautiful friend. She can’t help the slight blush that accompanies that admission and berates herself internally. Why is she acting so shy? This is Karolina, her friend. 

“Sweet,” Karrie smiles teasingly, allowing Nico to roll her eyes before moving on.

“Mostly, I was just trying to help and learn more about Pride. Then I started to notice Alex disappearing for stretches of time and I was having trouble finding him, so I used a spell and it led me to him… meeting with his parents. Not just once or twice, but several times in the last month and each time they seemed to be friendlier and on better terms. I can’t know for sure, but I think Alex is planning on betraying you guys for Pride,” Nico makes sure to keep eye contact with Karolina to convey how serious she is about the accusation. She’s sure it won’t be easy to take in, especially after watching the group move from friends to family in the last few months. It pains her to even suggest this because she does care about Alex. It wasn’t in the way that he liked her, but they were always friends. Two years on the run doesn’t mean these connections just disappear. If anything, Nico feels more for her friends. She knows what it’s like to be without them and frankly, it fucking sucks. The downside is after two years alone, Nico doesn’t know how to express these feelings. It’s been so long since she has had a substantial conversation with someone she cares about that right now in this tiny room with Karolina, she wants to cry. Especially as she watches the crestfallen girl try and make sense of what she’s just been told.

“Are you sure? I mean, I trust you, Nico. I always will, but Alex?” Karolina drops her head to her hands and then lifts it again to look at the brunette. Her eyes are pleading for this to not be true; maybe Nico is just joking with her. She knows that her longtime crush wouldn’t joke about such a dangerous idea, but it’s better than believing her friend and family member was betraying them.

“I’m sorry, Karrie. I was hoping that maybe this was all a part of his plan, but judging by your reaction he’s never mentioned these meetings,” Nico sighs, her last hope flying out the room. Just another person who she once thought she could rely on letting her down.

“I just can’t believe he would do this! That asshole!” Karolina starts to get angry the longer she thinks about it. Everything begins to click together in her head from his refusal to share a plan to his distaste for getting any help. He’s setting them up to fail and they’re falling for it.

“I know you’re angry, but we have to figure out how to best approach this… I’m not sure marching in and accusing Alex outright is the right choice,” Nico shares her thoughts, hoping Karolina can help. 

“I’m gonna need some time to cool down before seeing him then,” Karrie scoffs, she’s the sweetest person until you give her real reason not to be. People assume the church girl can’t get angry, but she’s not immune and when she is angry it might not be loud or crazy but her anger stews. 

“You can stay here tonight,” Nico offers tentatively. She shifts in her place and looks at the tiny room.

“It’s small and only one bed, but it’s almost morning now anyway and I don’t really need to sleep,” Nico shrugs. 

“Nico, in our life we need all the sleep we can get. I don’t mind taking the floor,” Karrie offers. Nico glances around the floors, not exactly clean but not terrible.

“No way. Let’s be honest neither of us would allow the other to sleep on my cold concrete. We can share the bed? I don’t take up much space.” Nico chuckles, awkwardly. Her gaze bounces around, refusing to rest on Karrie for too long and there’s a cute pink to her cheeks that makes the blonde want to kiss them. And yeah, she never got over Nico. The longer she sits here the more clear it becomes.

“Okay… um, should we figure out the plan now?” Karolina smiles softly. Nico nods and they start to trade ideas back and forth. It takes another hour and a half before they get to a point where they feel like they can rest for the night. Laying on their sides facing each other there isn’t room for much space between them. Karolina has to focus on keeping her breath even as she looks at Nico, close enough to feel her warmth.

“I really missed you,” she breathes out eventually. She doesn’t say ‘I thought about you every night’ or ‘I cried thinking I’d never have the chance to say I love you’ but she hopes Nico can hear the deeper meaning in those four words.

“I missed you too, Karrie,” Nico smiles softly, “I didn’t realize how much until I saw you, again.” 

Karolina knows Nico doesn’t mean it in the way she does. She doesn’t understand what Karolina is telling her, but she takes the words to her heart anyway.

“When was that? The night of the failed talent reconnaissance?” Karolina asks, curious if Nico had been tailing them for longer. Judging by the blush that creeps up around Nico’s neck and ears the answer is yes. 

“When I saw on the news that you guys were missing and accused of kidnapping Molly, I knew that it had finally happened and you’d figured out Pride. So I started looking for you guys and honestly? It wasn’t that hard? Like I am genuinely surprised you haven’t been caught yet,” Nico teases Karrie who laughs and nods.

“There have been a lot of close ones. Including a couple that you helped out with,” Karolina tries to shrug from her position on her side. They’re quiet again after that each thinking about the past and their future, as uncertain as it is right now.

“We should get some sleep,” Nico suggests finally. It’s almost four now and they will need rest to start their plan tomorrow.

“Yeah… Goodnight, Nico,” Karolina reaches forward to squeeze the shorter girls fingers as they rest between them. She starts to pull away but is stopped when Nico tentatively weaves their fingers together. Neither says anything, instead taking in the feeling of their hands clasped together. Karolina wonders how two years could pass by without her seeing or hearing from Nico and yet they come back together so easily. She knows she can’t make the same mistakes this time. Their world may end soon and she doesn’t need any regrets on that day. Karolina promised herself that if she ever had the chance, she’d tell Nico how she feels and she plans to keep that promise. For now, though, she holds her favorite person’s hand and drifts off to sleep to the sound of her breathing.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed reading this please please don’t forget to leave kudos! It really does validate me.


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